OH, CHRISTMAS TREE....

We had a really big snow storm the last week of November that was really hard on the trees in our neighborhood. We came home to find the top of our weeping birch laying in the front yard. Sad.... tree down. It was sad to think that this beautiful tree was going to go to waste... there must be something cool to do with it, right?  I let it sit there for a few days waiting for the snow to melt, and thinking, before I hauled it away.  While it was laying there the inspiration struck!

Here is the result of the inspiration.... a magical, not so traditional Christmas tree! A weeping birch that is dripping with crystals and sparkles and glass. Things and stuff like you might find in a winter-wonder land!

 Just because it is not an evergreen doesn't mean it shouldn't have a star on the top... or at least hanging near the top!

 Lanterns help you find your way in the snow... and the candles make the crystals sparkle!

Oh, Christmas Tree......

HAPPY HOLIDAY'S!!!

WHAT IS "GARLAND DAY"???

 We do some crazy 'things and stuff' at our house... like make up our own holidays! Really...

The Sunday following Thanksgiving is always 'GARLAND DAY' at our house.  We have been collecting Hallmark Keepsake Ornaments for a long time and it became obvious that we had far too many ornaments to hang on a tree. Each ornament has a story and hanging them on a garland is the perfect way to display them.

 The garland started in the opening between the kitchen and the great room but it has grown to the french doors and windows.
 

 The kids each have themes that they add to each year. Scott has 'Transportation and Sports', Erin has 'Angels and Tinkerbell', Deni has 'Art and Years', and Sami has 'Pooh Bear and Dancers'. There are also spinning Barbies, Mr. and Mrs. Clause, Superman, Candy Villages, and Snowmen.
 

There are also commemorative ornaments from the Olympics, toy making Santa's, flying elves... the list goes on and on!  I am not even sure how many ornaments we have... perhaps we should do an inventory before we put them away this year...

 This was the first ornament I bought in 1976, so I really have been collecting Hallmark ornaments for thirty five years. The Santa in the snowflake is from 1979.

 It has become such a fun tradition for the family. Each year we add to the collections and the kids have a great time looking at the ornaments as we hang them up. They talk about their favorites and how the ornaments bring back great memories... Traditions are important and really help keep families together. Garland Day is a great time and a good way to kick off the Holiday season....

And... the food is important!  The menu is always the same... Surf and Turf!  Steak and King Crab legs on the grill.... There may be snow but the grill still gets hot!

 

THANKSGIVING CUPBOARDS...

I love a lot of 'things and stuff' about fall... I love the colors,  I love the food, I love the nip in the air and the fact that you have to wear a sweatshirt to be comfortable... There are lots of 'things' to love. What do you love about fall?

 The kitchen cabinets have made their transition into fall for just a brief period before they get caught up in the Christmas spirit...  Just thought I would share.

 Gourds, autumn leaves and of course, Pilgrims.

 This is Butternut. He is not really a Thanksgiving decoration, but we figured if he was going to live on the counter he should at least have a 'fall-ish' name. Butternut is with us because he was the sole survivor of Frankenstein's Laboratory from Halloween. I wanted to put fish in the big lab cylinders for Halloween but I made the mistake of buying the twenty eight cent goldfish at Walmart and they didn't even survive the day; luckily I bought Butternut at the same time but he was $2.10. I guess it just shows that you get what you pay for....

  This is where Butternut lives, along with the Beta's... Katniss (the Fish on Fire) and Batman.

 I have mentioned in the past that I like to do something in the entry for each holiday, so this is the presentation for Thanksgiving. The grouping of pictures on the wall are all vintage reproductions of Thanksgiving prints. My intention had been to sell them but I got a late start so I used them here.

  It is amazing what you can do with a little silver spray paint! I turned these ugly metal gourds into something you might see at one of the high end retailers...

This is the centerpiece on the table. It is a continual reminder that we should give thanks for all we have... not just this time of year, but all through the year.

HAPPY THANKGIVING!

 

THANKFUL TURKEY 2012

November is here, Thanksgiving is near; it is time for the "THANKFUL TURKEY" to appear..... (First posted November 28, 2010).

 Thanksgiving gives us a chance to really think about the 'things and stuff' that we are truly thankful for... home, family, health, etc. Every year we post a paper turkey in our kitchen and we write the 'things' we are thankful for on his feathers. It is a great way to share with our feeling and to post them for all to see.

You have to make sure there are lots of feathers and that they are handy. A marker is a good 'thing' also. I made a box this year to hang on the mirror below the turkey so it is easy to post blessings.

With all of the bad things happening in the world, make sure you take time this year to really ponder the great blessing you enjoy in your life. We should be grateful every day, but Thanksgiving gives us a chance to really focus... take advantage of it. Make sure people know how you feel about them and how grateful you are to have them in your life. Appreciate your blessing and share them with others. 

May your holidays be filled with blessing and joy. HAPPY THANKSGIVING!



 
 

BEAUTIFUL SNOW ANGELS

Sometimes life really is all about things and stuff... Sometimes it is fun stuff. Sometimes it is crazy stuff. Sometimes it is all about things done at the spur of the moment and done with out much thought... Take making snow angels as an example... The beautiful snow on the patio was just begging to be played in....

  And sometimes Scottie just can't resist the urge to play! (No matter how cold!)

 Didn't I say just a minute ago that sometimes things are done without much thought?

 Snow angels anyone?

 The angel is complete....

 ...time to hit the hot tub!

I guess the heat is a reward for the stunt. Scott thought it was great but it really did not look like my idea of fun... Maybe I am just getting old. Or not... 

Happy Winter!

GRANDPARENT CABINET- you need one of these!

 It is amazing how fast you acquire 'things and stuff' for a grand baby when they arrive. You need books and toys and diapers and wipes.... and you need a place to store them out of sight when the baby is not there. When I was redesigning our great room this last summer I decided I needed to plan in a place to hide all the 'things and stuff' Eli would need when he is visiting.

I picked up this cabinet a couple of years ago at a tag sale. It has been in storage just waiting for the perfect home. A grandparent (Mae Mae and Po at our house) cabinet would be the perfect use.

 I removed the spindly legs and replaced them with bun feet then painted, distressed and waxed the cabinet to give it a whole new look. It is something new that looks like it has been in the family for years.

 I painted Eli's name and birthday on the front just for fun and to make the cabinet a little more unique. 
Scott said he didn't think it was fair that Eli had his own cabinet.... I said, 'Why not? Eli is my favorite grandchild... If you would like to produce a child or two they would be my favorite also and I will add their names to the cabinet!" The gauntlet has been thrown down!

 An interior view of the cabinet. Baskets hold toys and games. Books are stacked for easy access and I added a cork board to one door and a chalk board to the other... a great place to post or create art.

  New hardware adds to the vintage look. I had the pulls with the back plates but had to search the internet for matching thumb latches. I had to then distress the lot to make them look like they belonged together. The hardware adds to the vintage look.

 Just a detail of the new bun feet. Nice and sturdy and a little more authentic feeling.

Although Eli is still a baby it is nice to have everything handy but out of sight in a really great looking piece of furniture.... The Mae Mae and Po is working out great!

If you need a Grandparents cabinet, lets talk... I could build one for you also! It doesn't have to be an armoire... it could be a chest. What ever works, you need one!

HALLOWEEN cupboard

It has been a couple of crazy months.... things and stuff going on... you know how it goes... I re-decorated the great room and refinished a bunch of great old furniture and gave the house a really fun new look.  Pictures to come.

Halloween has now come and gone and I am in the process of sifting through the hundreds of photos that were taken so that I can share another great year.  In the mean time, I thought I would at least share the kitchen collection cupboard before I take it down and put in Thanksgiving!   

  Some of the items in this cupboard we have had since the eighty's! Fun memories!

WHAT'S FOR DINNER #3

So, I learned something new the other day.... 
One cannot live on 'stuff' like Diet Coke and frozen peanut butter cups. Believe me, I have tried!
Those two 'things' are delicious! The problem is the body expands at a perfect ratio to the number of peanut butter cups you eat. Oh, and just so you know, drinking a Diet Coke with chocolate does NOT cancel out the calories!

All is fine when you are working on the house and wearing gym shorts and t-shirts all the time. Then it comes time to put on real clothes. WOW. Time  to start eating healthy!

 Healthy doesn't have to be boring though.  Marinate some boneless turkey breasts (or chicken) and throw them on the grill. The grilling adds a whole new dimension to the flavor of the turkey. I have learned that to get a really great result when you cook poultry on the grill you have to cook it slowly and on lower heat. Don't poke it... use thongs. Put the poultry on the grill and close the lid. Check it occasionally and lift each piece carefully so it doesn't stick but DO NOT turn it over yet. Turn the meat when the top is no longer pink. It won't take long to finish and you will have a really tender, juicy piece of poultry. Slower cooking seals in the juices.

We served it up with a fresh broccoli salad and it was cool, light and refreshing. It looks pretty fancy also, but it was really easy. The salad is just the mix from Costco! A really nice size serving only has 150 calories.

So, healthy it has to be for a while... but there is always Sunday...

Blondies, anyone?

WHAT'S FOR DINNER #2

You would have thought Sami was going on a mission, or to prison or some-"thing", the way she was acting on Sunday while she was packing to go to BYU. "What are we going to have for my last dinner?", she asks. It's not like she won't be home every week or so, but I asked her what she would like anyway.  Usually it is BBQ ribs, but this time she said steak and potatoes. 

Good choice!

We decided to do Flank steak and pan fried potatoes just for a change. Flank steak is not a very popular cut of meat mainly because it is super lean and if it is not cooked correctly can be really tough. The secret to a really great Flank steak is a good marinade and then cooking it quickly over high heat. If done correctly, it is met in your mouth tender.

 This is what a perfectly cooked Flank steak looks like. It has a really nice crispy outside but still moist and tender on the inside. It is important to let your steak rest on the cutting board before slicing so that the juices can redistribute into the meat and not run out on the cutting board.

 Slicing the Flank steak across the grain and at a 45 degree angle add to the tenderness.

Do you want to know how I do Flank steak? Thought so... My marinade is a old secret recipe from my friend Kara, handed down through generations... Just kidding. It is a family recipe from Kara, but it is not secret, at least not any more.

GRILLED FLANK STEAK

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup water

1 TBSP sugar

2 big TBSP minced garlic

1 TSP celery seed

Juice of TWO limes (that is the secret)

Put the marinade and a two pound Flank steak in a zip lock bag and shake to be sure the steak is covered. Lay bag flat. Flip it over every couple of hours to make sure the steak is evenly covered. It is best to do this overnight, but a couple of hours will work.

Heat your grill. Place you Flank steak in the middle of the hot grill and top with lots of fresh ground pepper. Put the cover down and cook for exactly seven minutes (six minutes if you want it more rare). Set a timer. Turn over and cook for seven more minutes. Flank steak is best eaten medium rare, however, my favorite part is the crunchy edges... delicious and full of flavor.

Let the steak rest for ten minutes then slice and serve.

It is excellent with mashers, rice pilaf,  baked potatoes, or just veggies or a salad. Oh, it makes amazing sandwiches when it is cold.

I did pan fried potatoes with our steak, however I boiled red potatoes with their skins first. When the potatoes were cool enough touch I sliced them about 1/4 inch thick. I heated some butter in a large skillet and sauteed some garlic for a few minutes. The butter makes the potatoes really brown and crispy, almost like hash browns. I added salt and fresh ground pepper then put the potatoes in a large baking dish, topped them with grated cheese and broiled them until the cheese was melted! They actually like fried baked potatoes! So good.

We topped the steak and potatoes with black bean salsa just to give it a little zip.

Give it a try... let me know how it goes! 

Oh, one other tip... Costco has a screaming deal on Flank steak.

melancholy parent moments...

Today is one of those sad, melancholy days that come in the life of a parent. Life is all about THINGs and STUFF and some of those things are not as fun as others. Stuff, like kids growing up, can be bittersweet. Your are thrilled that they have grown into such fine young adults but sad that they are making new paths that don't include you.

 Sami moved into her dorm at BYU this morning. She was pretty nervous but excited at the same time. This is the first time she has really been away from home for more 

than a week or so.
 

We got her STUFF all in and under the bed then...

...she thought she should at least make her bed before she left for leadership conference;

 and she wanted her room to "look kind-of cute" when her room mate checked in.

Although we are going to miss seeing Sami every day, we know she is doing what she needs to do. She will do great at BYU. Besides, she is only 45 minutes away... and there is alway 'face time', right? I have to keep telling myself that to keep from crying.

My baby girl is all 'growed' up!

FRESH SQUEEZED ANYONE?

So, I was making home made raspberry ice cream on Sunday for Deni's birthday party. I had all the "stuff" together and had already done most of the "things" like pureed the raspberries (so delicious and fresh) and added the sugar. Next step was to add the citrus. The recipe says you can use juice from concentrate but I think it is far better to use fresh squeezed juice. I set the "stuff" on the counter and -wow- it was really a pretty nice looking still life composition. Luckily I always have a camera close by.....

 Did you know that citrus reamers have been around for over two hundred years? The original reamers were really messy; but the saucer on the bottom wasn't added until the early 1900's. Unfortunately reamers became almost obsolete in 1940 when concentrated juices were introduced. Most reamers are now only available at thrift stores and tag sales.

Mine is vintage 1950.

The light was perfect! Perhaps if life ever slows down I will put this on canvas!

Happy juicing!